Libertarian Could Trigger Runoff In Georgia Governor’s Race

In this Oct. 23, 2018, file photo, Libertarian candidate for Georgia Governor Ted Metz gestures before a debate in Atlanta. Metz may not get many votes for Georgia governor on Election Day. But the Libertarian candidate is on the ballot, raising the chance that nobody else will win an outright victory next week either.

John Bazemore / AP Pool, File

Ted Metz may not get many votes in the Georgia governor’s race, but the Libertarian candidate is on the ballot, raising the possibility that no one else will get to declare victory on Election Day either.

Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams are in the home stretch of a closely watched race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Nathan Deal, and polls have consistently shown the rivals running neck and neck.

Metz’s third-party campaign has attracted scant attention, but he could still play a defining role in Tuesday’s outcome. If the vote margin between Kemp and Abrams is close enough, even a small percentage of votes for Metz could force the two major party contenders into a month of overtime culminating in a runoff election Dec. 4.